Lacrosse has existed since the early 1800’s. Lacrosse is an international team sport and the only one to recognize Native American tribes or First Nations sovereign nations. Although Lacrosse is the oldest known game, people all over the globe continue to play it today. This sport is not only a traditional tribal game, but it was also played by people in their spare time.
First, lacrosse was closely related to Indigenous practices and teachings before European settlers arrived. Native Americans developed their own version, which was a contest of skill, pride, spiritual significance, that they called lacrosse. Lacrosse was originally believed to have been a god-given sport that was used to settle disputes between natives. 67) . Pre-game rituals were a proud part of the Natives’ pride. These rituals were very similar to the ones that athletes use in sports events today. To get in the spirit of the game, natives would paint their bodies and faces. They would also paint the sticks and anything else used during the game. Like today’s athletes, they would adhere to a strict diet before playing. The medicine man was the name they used for this person. The medicine man was a person who performed rituals on the players before the game. The rituals that the players performed on the day they played the game were even more extensive. They could go on for hours. Each player was required to place pre-game wagers. They would place almost any bet on the outcome of that particular game. They considered this a way to fight the British. Native Americans did not use padding to protect themselves. The original wooden ball used for lacrosse was wooden. Later the ball was modified using deer skin and rubber. Many injuries were caused by the wooden ball and couldn’t have been treated properly. Their fields were roughly five-hundred to a mile in length. They had shorter fields which made the game more fun. As well, they wore barefoot which is much less dangerous than the lacrosse-cleats athletes now wear. It provides stability and sideways movement. The original idea was to have ten players play a one-hour game. Over a number of days, games could have up to a thousand participants from different villages. Second, lacrosse was a huge event back then. As more people discover the sport through advertising, it has seen a rapid rise in popularity over the years. It has seen a steady increase in participation ever since lacrosse was introduced beyond Native American Culture. Club leagues and summer camps are the most important factors in youth lacrosse’s rapid growth. The sport was safer and improved upon after the Native Americans stopped playing it their way. Metal sticks and rubber balls are now common. To provide protection and safety, padding was added to the lacrosse team’s uniform. While lacrosse started out without pads, the sport gained popularity and padding was introduced. The gloves were the first pads that could be used to protect the fingers of players. The helmets were next, to protect their brains from any injury or prevent them getting hit with anything. Next came chest protectors. These were used to protect the heart, lungs, and ribs of the players. Arm pads were also available. Arm pads helped protect players against breaking bones. Players began to wear shoes instead of going barefoot. This allowed them to avoid injury. Lacrosse has become a very popular sport throughout North America. As the years passed, Lacrosse became a more popular sport.
Finally, the nets they used were similar in design to uprights in football. The nets used in today’s game are filed lacrosse big nets measuring 7 feet by 5ft wide and box lacrosse large nets measuring 5 feet and 4? tall. wide. These two lacrosse nets differ because field lacrosse has a larger field than box. It means that less shots are taken by the goalie so players have more chances to score. Box lacrosse occupies much more space on the floor. There are on average 30 shots per game. But the nets and goals are smaller, making it extremely difficult for an opponent to score.
Lacrosse has been a popular sport for generations. It will continue to be enjoyed by many generations. It is one if the fastest-growing sports. It began as a simple sport using sticks from the woods. Now it is a professional sport that uses intricately-made sticks. While lacrosse’s original purpose was to be played with sticks from the woods, it has experienced many changes that have benefited the game. However, the values and traditional meanings of the game will not disappear.